ETX student describes scene near Boston Marathon explosions

An East Texas student who is going to college in Boston spoke with KLTV via Skype an hour after the explosions took place at the Boston Marathon. That student, Mason Lieberman, was fewer than two blocks from the explosions. He heard the explosions from his dorm room at Berklee College of Music.

"A little before 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I heard a loud bang from my dorm and I thought that it might be some falling damage from the next door construction site. A few moments later, there was another similar bang that sounded very distinctly like an explosion. At that point, I ran downstairs and there was already a group crowded in the lobby," Mason said.

Moments later, Mason ran into a friend who was outside when the explosion happened.

"A close friend of mine walked in who had been at the scene and had been standing right next to the explosion. He was visibly shaken and he confirmed there had been something at the scene that looked like an explosion," said Mason.

Mason said students crowded around TVs in the lobbies and were watching everything that had happened just two blocks away from them.

"People are bursting into tears. There's a lot of distress. The buildings have all gone on lockdown. We're up to two confirmed fatalities. It's absolute mayhem up here," says Mason.

Mason said from his dorm he could hear sirens on the ground and helicopters in the air.

In Boston, Monday is Patriot's day and many banks and businesses were closed.

"It's a local holiday, so most things were shut down so the streets were very packed to watch the marathon," said Mason.

Mason said he has been instructed by school officials to remain indoors and stay away from the scene. A number of other East Texans who were actually running in the race Monday, including Natalie Bach-Prather of Marshall, Dr. Jason Anderson of Marshall, Dr. John Camp of Tyler and Christy Hellman Richbourg of Tyler, have spoken with us and confirm they are safe.

Technical Discussion

Monday will be bright and chilly. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s in inland sections and lower 40s along the shore. A cell of high pressure will move overhead, and then to the east of the region today and will be the dominating factor in the weather, thus promising the quieter spell.

Monday will be bright and chilly. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s in inland sections and lower 40s along the shore. A cell of high pressure will move overhead, and then to the east of the region today and will be the dominating factor in the weather, thus promising the quieter spell.

Nearly two weeks after 16-year-old Amy Yu vanished with 45-year-old Kevin Esterly, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. (Allentown Police Department)

Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl vanished with a 45-year-old man, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. Amy Yu was "unharmed and in good health."

Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl vanished with a 45-year-old man, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. Amy Yu was "unharmed and in good health."